April 2024
APRIL 2024 | ISSUE #043
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Hello Potters
President’s Report
We have had a number of firsts for the year this month with our first cleaning bee, first festival and first two workshops. What a month!
We had a good turn out for the cleaning bee including some new faces which was great to see. Massive thank you to everyone who helped.
You would have noticed we have moved some things around including the clay which is now on some new shelves out the back.
The Bluewater festival was held on Good Friday. Our next festival is Einbunpin on 28th July so keep creating so we can show our community why we love playing with clay so much.
April brings with it our AGM, Sunday 7th at 2pm at the studio. We are a community group fully run by volunteers and it’s so important for you to attend and hear what’s happening at your club and share your thoughts on the year ahead.
Happy potting
Suzanne
Annual General Meeting
THIS Sunday 7 April 2:00pm
As we have changed our financial year to end 31 December we legally require an AGM to review the financial report for the entire 2023 year.
However, it’s also a fabulous opportunity to have a say in your club and we have lots to share and for you to vote on, so please come on down and participate. The AGM will be held down at the shed. All members welcome.
It’s not too late to log onto Hello Club and indicate
your interest in attending.
Being Respectful, Feeling Safe
The club’s Code of Conduct was written to guide the safety and respect of members. Developing friendships, being co-operative, sharing ideas and skills as well as being respectful to each other in words and actions is something in which the club takes great pride. When members are working in the studio or interacting with other members via electronic means, everyone has a right to feel safe and not harassed.
The Code of Conduct can be found in your membership documentation or you can request a copy from the Membership Officer here or read it here.
Thank you to all who came along and joined in the cleaning bee last month. A lot of cleaning and re-organising was done as you have probably noticed. Let’s all try to keep the cleanliness standard high for yourself and for your fellow potters. It doesn’t take much.
REMEMBER
If you use it – clean it, dry it and put it back.
Another full house Thursday night down at the Pottery Shed. It is so great to see new faces and to hear the buzz as potters share their experiences as they create new and exciting pieces.
The Bluewater festival was held on Good Friday and wasn’t it a blast. A BIG thank you to all of the volunteers that managed the stall. It was a busy day to say the least. Thank you for the potters who brought along their pieces to sell.
15 of the clubs potters provided pieces to sell ranging from hobbit doors to coffee mugs. I loved seeing the diversity of creations and the feedback from the community was so positive. Sales where outstanding. Our next festival is Einbunpin on 28th July so keep creating so we can show our community why we love playing with clay so much.
SAS Easter Art Show Report
The Sandgate Art Society’s annual Sandgate Easter Art Show was on this weekend and the turnout was immense. Lots of people came through the door and enjoyed the paintings and pottery that were on display. Sales were strong again this year proving that people want bespoke hand crafted items for their homes or as gifts for their loved ones.
BIG thanks goes to the volunteers that helped in the management and installation of the pottery for the exhibition, particularly Linda and Phil. Your help was inspirational.
Winners in the 3 categories + Best in Show
Best in Show
Sandra Pearce
3D
First Prize - The Queen by Karen Roberts
Second Prize - Taurus by Russell Solomon
Highly Commended - Breaking Through the Ice and Snow Phillip Pascoe
2D
First Prize - The 2 Parrots, Casey Charles
Second Prize - Blueberries by Wendy Cook
Highly Commended - Boots of Remembrance by Michelle Newby
Trevor Proud Encouragement Award - Giants United by Marie Smith
Lyn O'Brien Memorial Portrait Prize - Clarry Coulthard, Iga Warta by Majella Holton
Digital/Photographic
First Prize - Mysterious Mangroves by Aurelie Beeston
Second Prize - The 10 meter Springboard by Grant Quinn
Here are some of the amazing 3D pieces from the exhibition.
Click on an image to view larger.
Food Safe and Stable Glazes Online Course
Starts Tuesday 2 April
by Tim Thornton Ceramics
If you mix up your own glazes, whether just picking recipes from books and web sites or running your own R&D program, this course will help you by showing you what makes glazes leach, or not be food safe, or craze, and what you can do about it.
We will look at the structure of glazes, how the components are bonded together, and learn what may strengthen or weaken a glaze, whether in contact with food or drink or in the dishwasher. We will also look at the different ways that glazes can be tested for stability.
We will look at which glaze components are hazardous from a food safety point of view, looking at both their toxic effects and their safe doses. We will also look at the legislation on food safety.
The course is run over 6 weeks, with a 90 minute session every week, plus a discussion session at the end of the course.
For more info https://shop.tim-thornton.com/food-safe-and-stable-glazes/
Create a fridge magnet which celebrates pottery or the Shorncliffe / Sandgate / 4017 area. Magnets will be judged with 2 x $30 club vouchers to be won. They will then be sold at Einbunpin and Sandgate Arts Society Creative Trail with money raised going to the club. So get your creative ideas flowing. See poster above or in the studio
Above is a promotional photo taken by member Amy Stevens showing the very talented Fiona throwing the most adorable mini pot off the hump for the magnet competition. I can’t wait to buy one myself 🤣 Thanks Amy and Fiona, love your work.
Learn + Natter
(workshop + socials)
We’ve had our first Beginner workshops, which have received positive feedback. Thank you to our facilitators and those who attended.
We are trying to cater for all members of our club, therefore providing workshops on other days, not just weekends. Same with the themed socials. So ensure to check availability on Helloclub. If you're not sure how to do this, please speak with a supervisor at the shed.
We are looking for ideas for what other skills you would like to learn or further develop, so please reach out and provide some feedback.
shorncliffepotteryclubinc.helloclub.com
If you would be interested in hosting a workshop or Sunday (or other day) Social, please contact me and I'd be happy to discuss this further or alternatively, if you would like to suggest a workshop or instructor for a possible workshop, please also contact me.
happy potting
Rebecca Mason
Make a Wall Hanging or Mobile ‘Social Night’
Come along for a fun social night to learn and share skills.
When: Wednesday 24 April 6 - 9pm
Where: Shorncliffe Pottery Club Inc
Bookings and more information available in HelloClub.
Clay Gulgong
Is a biennial event that takes place in a region of north-western New South Wales, that is globally recognised for its strong links with the field of ceramics. Mansfield Ceramics is committed to bringing the best national and international artists to the beautiful town of Gulgong.
*** ON THIS MONTH***
15 – 21 April
For further information:
Now On YouTube
It’s on again this year. If you are interested in putting some of your best work into the competitions the closing date for entries is drawing near. To enter use the link below to take you to the Arts/Crafts section. Once you log in you will find a range of pottery sections to select from.
Deadline for Entries 24 May 2024
BVAC Pop Up
Come along to the BVAC Winter Wonderland Pop-Up at the
Toowong Arboretum Botanical Gardens
A fabulous weekend of browsing through all the BVAC goodies for that personalised hand crafted treasure.
Pop Up Shop: 7 - 9 June 2024
Trading will be from 10am - 4pm Friday - Sunday
5,000 Year Old Porridge
Is Found In Ceramic Vessels
Researchers from the Collaborative Research Centre at Kiel University in Germany examined burned food residue on 5,000-year-old ceramic vessels from Schleswig-Holstein. In the process, they not only learned ancient humans from the region knew how to make porridge, but also that — much like their modern counterparts — they sometimes forgot to take it off the stove in time.
The post goes on to note that barley was harvested and prepared in much the same way that contemporary German farmers produce green spelt, plucking and processing the grain when it is in a sprouted state. According to the authors, this would have given the prehistoric porridge a sweet flavor, challenging the notion that prehistoric food was bland and barebones, while indicating that prehistoric people had a highly differentiated sense of taste.
Edit Courtesy of ArtNet. Article by Tim Brinkhof • February 22, 2024
Burnt prehistoric stodge
Beginners Wheel Throwing
Check homepage events on Hello Club for details.
shorncliffepotteryclubinc.helloclub.com
When: 13 + 14 April 2024
Time: 1:00 to 4:00
Where: SPCI Shed
Intro to Slab Rolling
Learn how to add texture, stamping, joining methods, make a plate,
large cup or vase, attach handles. Register here:
shorncliffepotteryclubinc.helloclub.com
When: 21 April 2024
Time: 9:30 to 12:30
Where: SPCI Shed
Beginners Wheel Throwing With Clare
1 + 1/2 day workshop with Clare Houston.
Come along and learn how to prepare clay, wedge, centre and throw a cylinder shape and trim your pieces to prepare for firing. Clare has amazing skills to share and guide you in learning how to use the wheel.
Clay and basic kit supplied.
Must wear closed in shoes.
No loose sleeves on clothing
Tie loose hair up
Not recommended to have long nails
shorncliffepotteryclubinc.helloclub.com
When: Monday 29 + Tuesday 30 April
Monday: 9:00 to 5:00
Tuesday: 2:00 to 6:00
Where: SPCI Shed
Why don’t you send in some photos and text for inclusion in the club’s newsletter?
Include your name, the title of your work (if any), and a short description of what it is or why you made it.
Meet Helena
and her latest sensational sculptural work,
a figurine of
‘San Antonio’.
It’s brilliant.
We have popped all the published tips, hacks and techniques onto the ‘Tips’ page on our club website so that you can refer to them easily.
Glaze Techniques 101
underglaze - as the name suggests these are glazes that go under a clear glaze. They are made from a mix of clay, colourant and water. They need to be applied to the piece using several layers to ensure the colour is detailed and vivid enough once fired
clear overglaze - again as the name suggests this is a clear glaze that goes over the underglazes to lock in and enhance the colour and to make a clear glass surface that seals the piece
glaze - a mixture of various minerals and compounds that when fired to a high temperature turn into a glass that binds to the clay surface. The glaze is usually applied to pottery items by dipping, spraying or painted with a brush
glaze pencil - is a pencil that works much the same as underglazes and comes in various colours. Not to be confused with a normal lead pencil which will burn out in the firing process
sgraffito (Italian "to scratch") - is a decorating pottery technique produced by applying layers of colour or colours (underglazes or coloured slips) to leather hard pottery and then scratching off parts of the layer(s) to create contrasting images, patterns and texture and reveal the clay colour underneath
slip - sometimes referred to as liquid clay, is essentially a liquid mix of pieces of clay in water. It normally has a consistency like thick cream when mixed together but slip may be more liquid dependent on how you intend to use it
wax resist - using molten wax to isolate where you don’t want the glaze to affect. It is a type of glaze decoration that involves the application of a coat of one glaze, then painting a wax pattern, then applying a second coat of the same or a different glaze. The wax resists the second glaze from adhering, allowing the painted design to show through
re-fired glaze - sometimes a glaze just doesn’t work for many different reasons. Maybe it was applied too thinly or too thickly, maybe the kiln didn’t reach the right temperature, maybe the glaze itself was faulty. Lots can and does go wrong in the firing process, that is part of the beauty of pottery. You don’t always get what you expected
If you find yourself in this predicament you can usually re-fire the problematic piece. To do this, first spray the surface of the piece with spray starch or sticky hair spray, this will help the new glaze to adhere to the surface. Once dry (it may take a while for this to happen - up to a couple of hours) then re-apply the glaze to the piece and fire accordingly
important: Re-fire your piece sitting on a bisque fired ‘sacrificial’ plate - this will catch any excess glaze run-off.
Our Committee
President: Suzanne Bell
Vice President: Rose Kelly
Treasurer: David Grugeon
Secretary: Amy Stevens
Committee Members:
Ken Bull, Barbara Fletcher, Clare Houston, Melina Wales
Newsletter Editor: Ed Trost
edtrost1961@gmail.com
email: shorncliffepotteryclubinc@gmail.com
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